Regret early retirement/downsizing
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Yesterday marked my two year anniversary of retiring from Big Law as a partner at 53. I haven't had a millisecond of regret.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Congrats! Here's what you started with: Retiring at 54
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Why does it matter to you what his specific passion or pastime is? I love to hike but I don't have any illusions that it's inherently more valuable than playing a video game.TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.fantasytensai wrote: I am not seeing the irony.
The first third of my life passed by way too fast. I spent the majority of it in school, the last few working. School for me was not a general American experience - I went to school in an environment where EVERYTHING was focused on getting the top grades (see tiger mom stories). I love video games but I was given 1 hour a week to play, 2 if I did something good (awards, first in my year, etc.) I remember when I was 15, my parents left town and I picked the locks on the cabinet they stored my PS2 and played for three days straight.
I married while in school. My wife is also an overachiever. After I graduated I immediately started working, and it was always to do well and get paid more, yaddie yadda. I don't want that though. I don't want to make a million bucks and devote my life to my work. Hell, I don't even want to devote 1/3 of my life to work like I am currently doing. All I want is to be able to sit in front of my TV, with no limits, and be able to play my games. And that is why I am working towards financial independence...to be able to do that.
I DO NOT CARE ABOUT GREATER PASSIONS. If it's there and I find it, great I'll pursue it. If it doesn't come, I have better games to play than to waste time to look for it. There are a lot of people like me. Unfortunately in this day and age this lack of "ambition", "purpose" or "mission" gets you nowhere so everyday we have to pretend we [care --admin LadyGeek]. Good thing I don't have to pretend here
Man it feels good to get that off my chest.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.fantasytensai wrote: I am not seeing the irony.
The first third of my life passed by way too fast. I spent the majority of it in school, the last few working. School for me was not a general American experience - I went to school in an environment where EVERYTHING was focused on getting the top grades (see tiger mom stories). I love video games but I was given 1 hour a week to play, 2 if I did something good (awards, first in my year, etc.) I remember when I was 15, my parents left town and I picked the locks on the cabinet they stored my PS2 and played for three days straight.
I married while in school. My wife is also an overachiever. After I graduated I immediately started working, and it was always to do well and get paid more, yaddie yadda. I don't want that though. I don't want to make a million bucks and devote my life to my work. Hell, I don't even want to devote 1/3 of my life to work like I am currently doing. All I want is to be able to sit in front of my TV, with no limits, and be able to play my games. And that is why I am working towards financial independence...to be able to do that.
I DO NOT CARE ABOUT GREATER PASSIONS. If it's there and I find it, great I'll pursue it. If it doesn't come, I have better games to play than to waste time to look for it. There are a lot of people like me. Unfortunately in this day and age this lack of "ambition", "purpose" or "mission" gets you nowhere so everyday we have to pretend we [care --admin LadyGeek]. Good thing I don't have to pretend here
Man it feels good to get that off my chest.
Personally, video games are not my cup of tea. But, I am not sure why you seem to think the items on your list like music and photography, etc. are somehow intrinsically better as a passion than playing video games. Is spending hours learning how to play a specific song on the piano somehow more worthwhile than spending those same hours learning how to master a challenging video game? What makes that true, and who gets to decide?
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Ha ha you're right! My net worth is now $500k more than when I first retired, so so far so good . . .LadyGeek wrote:Congrats! Here's what you started with: Retiring at 54
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Hobbies that make you physically active are the highest priority. Movement is the foundation of physical and psychological health. Physical hobbies should be consistent with your physical ability, ranging from simple yoga poses to running marathons.cusetownusa wrote:TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.
Is there some sort of hierarchy of hobbies based on credibility/importance?
The second priority is hobbies that put you in contact with other people. Specifically, physical face-to-face contact (not Facebook).
The third priority is hobbies that challenge your mind, e.g., learning foreign languages, exploring computer technologies.
Experimenting is great, but you need to know when to stop. There is a dichotomy between exploration and exploitation. In the exploration stage you try different things to asses and prioritize them. In the exploitation stage you use high-priority things and activities. If you don't explore enough, you are stuck with suboptimal choices. If you don't exploit what you've found the exploration effort is lost. Drawing the line between exploration and exploitation is subjective. But if you are aware of the concept, you pay attention to your impulses to explore further versus to stop seeking and start using and find a balance.cusetownusa wrote:I have always just lumped all hobbies together and try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Having this type of mindset has opened up new worlds and experiences for me as I am willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
Victoria
Last edited by VictoriaF on Fri Jun 16, 2017 10:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I removed some off-topic posts which were derailing the thread. As a reminder, see: General Etiquette
We expect this forum to be a place where people can feel comfortable asking questions and where debates and discussions are conducted in civil tones.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
What you are identify as judging is just a believe that life is lived in the real world as a opposed to the virtual world and the assumption people always have a life in the real world so it needs to be maximized. From my perspective people are free to do what they want as long as they accept the consequences of their decisions. I know plenty of gamers and have been one in the past myself, just never known anyone who saw it as a life's pursuit instead of simple escapism. But maybe I am just an old man yelling "Get off my lawn to a different generation" instead of imparting the benefit of my life's experience.cusetownusa wrote: try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. ...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Not again! (I keed, I keed. )TheTimeLord wrote:I think you just delayed my retirement by at least 18 months. Thanks a lot.fishandgolf wrote:.....retired at age 56...........
My wife said "Watcha doing today?"
I said "Nothing"
She said...."You did that yesterday".
I said "I wasn't finished"
Our personal blog (no ads) of why we saved/invested: https://www.lisajtravels.com/
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Not like I don't deserve it, I often laugh at myself on the topic. Actually I have started noticing some behaviors in myself that lead me to believe that I am moving towards the end faster than I would want to acknowledge. I outlined some of the reasons in the "Bored with investing" thread. I will probably take some time in November to sit down and really try to decide how much longer I am going to continue. That said, I still really enjoy the folks I work with so that will always make me drag my feet a bit.JDCarpenter wrote:Not again! (I keed, I keed. )TheTimeLord wrote:I think you just delayed my retirement by at least 18 months. Thanks a lot.fishandgolf wrote:.....retired at age 56...........
My wife said "Watcha doing today?"
I said "Nothing"
She said...."You did that yesterday".
I said "I wasn't finished"
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
Run, You Clever Boy! [9085]
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Thanks for your input Victoria...I always read your posts and appreciate your wisdom that you bring to this site. I would also agree with your hierarchy of hobbies. I have never thought about it this way but I believe I naturally follow this type of hierarchy anyways. For example,VictoriaF wrote:Hobbies that make you physically active are the highest priority. Movement is the foundation of physical and psychological health. Physical hobbies should be consistent with your physical ability, ranging from simple yoga poses to running marathons.cusetownusa wrote:TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.
Is there some sort of hierarchy of hobbies based on credibility/importance?
The second priority is hobbies that put you in contact with other people. Specifically, physical face-to-face contact (not Facebook).
The third priority is hobbies that challenge your mind, e.g., learning foreign languages, exploring computer technologies.
Experimenting is great, but you need to know when to stop. There is a dichotomy between exploration and exploitation. In the exploration stage you try different things to asses and prioritize them. In the exploitation stage you use high-priority things and activities. If you don't explore enough, you are stuck with suboptimal choices. If you don't exploit what you've found the exploration effort is lost. Drawing the line between exploration and exploitation is subjective. But if you are aware of the concept, you pay attention to your impulses to explore further versus to stop seeking and start using and find a balance.cusetownusa wrote:I have always just lumped all hobbies together and try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Having this type of mindset has opened up new worlds and experiences for me as I am willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
Victoria
My first priority hobby (outside of work/family) is to spend 30-60 minutes most days working on my health (mind and body)...this can include stretching, weightlifting, cardio, meditation, walking, etc.). I would love to add things like yoga, running (when the kids are a bit older I could probably add this back in as I can't leave them home alone now).
I have a few other hobbies (golf, etc.) but with 2 young kids I don't get to do much. I also greatly enjoy playing video games but since I don't prioritize it above health/mind improving hobbies and family I don't ever get to play (its been years).
Once I am Financially independent my plan is to build on the hobbies in your group 1 but also start adding in some hobbies from group 2 and 3. Video games being the big one but I would never sacrifice my health/family time to do so.
Last edited by cusetownusa on Fri Jun 16, 2017 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
How do you define "priority hobby" in this context? For instance, I have a self-imposed rule that I do 30 minutes of exercise every day. I would not consider exercise a hobby in any sense; I do it for my health. Really no different than brushing my teeth. I know that many people take part in a sports hobby (tennis, running, etc,) but that is not me. And I don't feel that I am missing anything or not self-actualized because of my approach.VictoriaF wrote:Hobbies that make you physically active are the highest priority. Movement is the foundation of physical and psychological health. Physical hobbies should be consistent with your physical ability, ranging from simple yoga poses to running marathons.cusetownusa wrote:TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.
Is there some sort of hierarchy of hobbies based on credibility/importance?
The second priority is hobbies that put you in contact with other people. Specifically, physical face-to-face contact (not Facebook).
The third priority is hobbies that challenge your mind, e.g., learning foreign languages, exploring computer technologies.
Experimenting is great, but you need to know when to stop. There is a dichotomy between exploration and exploitation. In the exploration stage you try different things to asses and prioritize them. In the exploitation stage you use high-priority things and activities. If you don't explore enough, you are stuck with suboptimal choices. If you don't exploit what you've found the exploration effort is lost. Drawing the line between exploration and exploitation is subjective. But if you are aware of the concept, you pay attention to your impulses to explore further versus to stop seeking and start using and find a balance.cusetownusa wrote:I have always just lumped all hobbies together and try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Having this type of mindset has opened up new worlds and experiences for me as I am willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
Victoria
Based on time alone, my priority hobby is reading -- books, magazine, newspapers, online content.
One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not. - Alexandre Dumas, fils
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Good post.VictoriaF wrote:Hobbies that make you physically active are the highest priority. Movement is the foundation of physical and psychological health. Physical hobbies should be consistent with your physical ability, ranging from simple yoga poses to running marathons.cusetownusa wrote:TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.
Is there some sort of hierarchy of hobbies based on credibility/importance?
The second priority is hobbies that put you in contact with other people. Specifically, physical face-to-face contact (not Facebook).
The third priority is hobbies that challenge your mind, e.g., learning foreign languages, exploring computer technologies.
Experimenting is great, but you need to know when to stop. There is a dichotomy between exploration and exploitation. In the exploration stage you try different things to asses and prioritize them. In the exploitation stage you use high-priority things and activities. If you don't explore enough, you are stuck with suboptimal choices. If you don't exploit what you've found the exploration effort is lost. Drawing the line between exploration and exploitation is subjective. But if you are aware of the concept, you pay attention to your impulses to explore further versus to stop seeking and start using and find a balance.cusetownusa wrote:I have always just lumped all hobbies together and try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Having this type of mindset has opened up new worlds and experiences for me as I am willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
Victoria
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - Leonardo Da Vinci
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Maybe we should change the title of this thread to "Extroverts don't understand introverts and feel the need to judge them."
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I retired 2 years ago at age 61. I have not regretted it at all.
While I do miss the people I worked with, I don't miss the commute, long hours, or anything else about it!
I enjoy being able to do what I want when I want. I wouldn't trade going back to work for anything!
While I do miss the people I worked with, I don't miss the commute, long hours, or anything else about it!
I enjoy being able to do what I want when I want. I wouldn't trade going back to work for anything!
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Mom....is that you?VictoriaF wrote:Hobbies that make you physically active are the highest priority. Movement is the foundation of physical and psychological health. Physical hobbies should be consistent with your physical ability, ranging from simple yoga poses to running marathons.cusetownusa wrote:TheTimeLord wrote:If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.
Is there some sort of hierarchy of hobbies based on credibility/importance?
The second priority is hobbies that put you in contact with other people. Specifically, physical face-to-face contact (not Facebook).
The third priority is hobbies that challenge your mind, e.g., learning foreign languages, exploring computer technologies.
Experimenting is great, but you need to know when to stop. There is a dichotomy between exploration and exploitation. In the exploration stage you try different things to asses and prioritize them. In the exploitation stage you use high-priority things and activities. If you don't explore enough, you are stuck with suboptimal choices. If you don't exploit what you've found the exploration effort is lost. Drawing the line between exploration and exploitation is subjective. But if you are aware of the concept, you pay attention to your impulses to explore further versus to stop seeking and start using and find a balance.cusetownusa wrote:I have always just lumped all hobbies together and try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Having this type of mindset has opened up new worlds and experiences for me as I am willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
Victoria
In a serious note, I disagree with ya but fully understand. Some people (including those whom I love the most) can't stand it when I game because it's like "throwing my life away". I always tell them that I understand that an extra kill on BF3 isn't going to have real-life achievement, but that's why I am also climbing the social ladder by busting my ass working. Getting back on track, my point is - after I have achieved enough in life (i.e. financial independence), I would like to retire and do what I love to do, which just happen to be video games.
Also, I do hike and play sports, but that is to stay fit, not because I inherently enjoy it. As for music, I jam with my friends, but I lost my passion for it long ago, and it's more for keeping in touch with my high school buddies once a week.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
But that is the beauty of it! What does financial independent mean to you? To me, it IS a means of escape! It means that I can finally escape a world where video games is seen as useless, contributes nothing to society, and cannot be a life's pursuit. Financial independence gives me the option of saying ok, so my life's pursuit is video games. Who cares what anyone thinks of it?TheTimeLord wrote:What you are identify as judging is just a believe that life is lived in the real world as a opposed to the virtual world and the assumption people always have a life in the real world so it needs to be maximized. From my perspective people are free to do what they want as long as they accept the consequences of their decisions. I know plenty of gamers and have been one in the past myself, just never known anyone who saw it as a life's pursuit instead of simple escapism. But maybe I am just an old man yelling "Get off my lawn to a different generation" instead of imparting the benefit of my life's experience.cusetownusa wrote: try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. ...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Your life, you get to select the pursuits you want. So happy gaming.fantasytensai wrote:But that is the beauty of it! What does financial independent mean to you? To me, it IS a means of escape! It means that I can finally escape a world where video games is seen as useless, contributes nothing to society, and cannot be a life's pursuit. Financial independence gives me the option of saying ok, so my life's pursuit is video games. Who cares what anyone thinks of it?TheTimeLord wrote:What you are identify as judging is just a believe that life is lived in the real world as a opposed to the virtual world and the assumption people always have a life in the real world so it needs to be maximized. From my perspective people are free to do what they want as long as they accept the consequences of their decisions. I know plenty of gamers and have been one in the past myself, just never known anyone who saw it as a life's pursuit instead of simple escapism. But maybe I am just an old man yelling "Get off my lawn to a different generation" instead of imparting the benefit of my life's experience.cusetownusa wrote: try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. ...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
Run, You Clever Boy! [9085]
- TheTimeLord
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Technically while fairly balanced, I test out as a slight introvert. Not sure Extrovert/Introvert is the line this is breaking down along.simmias wrote:Maybe we should change the title of this thread to "Extroverts don't understand introverts and feel the need to judge them."
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
Run, You Clever Boy! [9085]
- JDCarpenter
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I've empathized with your wrestling with the question over the past couple of years. Luckily, neither DW nor I think we have anything holding us back other than the desire to ensure smooth transitions for our co-workers, but we'll see after we jump out next month. (I think you've been able to create a bit more vacation flexibility both over the years and in your present work than we have. That might have made a difference in our analysis....)TheTimeLord wrote:...
Not like I don't deserve it, I often laugh at myself on the topic. Actually I have started noticing some behaviors in myself that lead me to believe that I am moving towards the end faster than I would want to acknowledge. I outlined some of the reasons in the "Bored with investing" thread. I will probably take some time in November to sit down and really try to decide how much longer I am going to continue. That said, I still really enjoy the folks I work with so that will always make me drag my feet a bit.
Anyway, good luck!
Our personal blog (no ads) of why we saved/invested: https://www.lisajtravels.com/
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
So far denying has worked out splendidly from my perspective. No regrets whatsoever which does make take the leap less attractive than it was in December of 2014.JDCarpenter wrote:I've empathized with your wrestling with the question over the past couple of years. Luckily, neither DW nor I think we have anything holding us back other than the desire to ensure smooth transitions for our co-workers, but we'll see after we jump out next month. (I think you've been able to create a bit more vacation flexibility both over the years and in your present work than we have. That might have made a difference in our analysis....)TheTimeLord wrote:...
Not like I don't deserve it, I often laugh at myself on the topic. Actually I have started noticing some behaviors in myself that lead me to believe that I am moving towards the end faster than I would want to acknowledge. I outlined some of the reasons in the "Bored with investing" thread. I will probably take some time in November to sit down and really try to decide how much longer I am going to continue. That said, I still really enjoy the folks I work with so that will always make me drag my feet a bit.
Anyway, good luck!
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
Run, You Clever Boy! [9085]
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
+1cusetownusa wrote:Is there some sort of hierarchy of hobbies based on credibility/importance? I have always just lumped all hobbies together and try to never judge anyone on how they like to spend their free time as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Having this type of mindset has opened up new worlds and experiences for me as I am willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone...unfortunately there are limitless amount of ways to spend your time and just not enough time to do them all.TheTimeLord wrote:
If that is the great passion of your life then I hope it works for you. Just would have thought you might have something else you would like to pursue such as music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel or something else.
It's always fascinating to see what makes someone light up. Data analysis of public (city, county) services, looking for ways to improve public services. Playing jazz piano. Gardening. Going back to college and studying something that in no way whatsoever could draw in a paycheck.
And the things that I fantasized about doing 20-30 years ago are nothing like what I want to do now.
I am currently reading every English translation of a Scandinavian police procedural thriller that I can find through the astoundingly wonderful North Carolina NC Cardinal library system. I'm pretty sure that this won't materially affect my life, other than possibly making us one day book a tour through the Nordic countries, but it makes me happy, I learn stuff about different countries, and it stretches my brain.
Chacun a son gout.
The continuous execution of a sound strategy gives you the benefit of the strategy. That's what it's all about. --Rick Ferri
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Is it okay to play chess as a hobby? Or bridge? Or poker?
Can one play video games on the Internet with other people? What about a LAN party where the people are in the same room with you?
Is it just video games that are bad or all games? Can I play basketball or golf? Or water volleyball? Are those okay? Or a waste of time?
Is reading okay? But TV bad? What about TV based on a book? What about audio books? Audio books while sitting bad? Audio books while walking good?
Can one play video games on the Internet with other people? What about a LAN party where the people are in the same room with you?
Is it just video games that are bad or all games? Can I play basketball or golf? Or water volleyball? Are those okay? Or a waste of time?
Is reading okay? But TV bad? What about TV based on a book? What about audio books? Audio books while sitting bad? Audio books while walking good?
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Me, I plan to take computer programing classes when I retire. I want to mess around a few hours a day with app programming.
I also plan to learn about engines too. And hopefully learn Spanish (or maybe Italian). Guitar would be fun.
And I plan to spend a few hours a day playing video games.
And drinking beer and playing Ping-Pong too.
I am a man with large dreams.
I also plan to learn about engines too. And hopefully learn Spanish (or maybe Italian). Guitar would be fun.
And I plan to spend a few hours a day playing video games.
And drinking beer and playing Ping-Pong too.
I am a man with large dreams.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Your post spoke to me, and I hope you finally did retire and pursued your projects.kathyauburn wrote:Different people are different. If I had had the money, I could have happily retired at age 24. I'm a creative person who can write, make music, pursue publishing and countless other projects. I don't get my energy or motivation from social situations or other people. I don't need or want validation from people working in an office. In fact, I disdain such people. (And I certainly don't think that the world's smartest people are found there.) I never met anyone in my years working in an office that I respected much at all. What a waste of life, I thought. If I have a regret, it's that I spent any time at all in such places.
Bottom line is that you have to examine yourself to determine whether you would regret retirement. What would be the possible reasons to regret it? Not enough money? That's entirely different from "not enough to do."
I worked at my profession for 37 years, but semi-retired 3/4 of the way through to pursue a degree in music (which I obtained after 4 years of study). I also wrote a book that was published, and have since written a second book (not yet published). I took up a new instrument and practice every day. I work out, and have a good social life. This took a lot of planning.
Some of the decisions about retirement and semi-retirement have to do with logistics: obtaining adequate health care/insurance, paying off a mortgage, getting children through college, etc. But if a person has the ability and capability of retiring or semi-retiring early and have the interests and courage to do it, I say go for it! Worked for me.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Even if you disdain electronic forms of entertainment as a hobby, people would do well to consider it during retirement as there is evidence it delays cognitive decline.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I retired at 49 and never regretted it; I've traveled to six continents and may even get to Antarctica. Warren Buffet Buffett still tap dances to work at 86.
Do what makes you happy
Do what makes you happy
No Where for Very Long...
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I agree with you. Your daily thirty minutes of exercise is not what I'd consider a hobby. It's just like the MWF 1-2 hour workout I do at home. It's for health and maintenance. A sport such as tennis, running, cycling, volleyball, even golf(!) could be considered a hobby, I suppose, depending on how serious you are about it.How do you define "priority hobby" in this context? For instance, I have a self-imposed rule that I do 30 minutes of exercise every day. I would not consider exercise a hobby in any sense; I do it for my health. Really no different than brushing my teeth. I know that many people take part in a sports hobby (tennis, running, etc,) but that is not me. And I don't feel that I am missing anything or not self-actualized because of my approach.
Based on time alone, my priority hobby is reading -- books, magazine, newspapers, online content.
Regardless of what you call your activities, pastimes, and the other things in which you participate, this is just about semantics. Many people who collect stamps or coins would not call it a hobby--it can be serious business.
I correspond with a dozen people around the world; we all use fountain pens. Is this a hobby? Not to me. I spend hours writing these letters, and it is a serious activity for me. I don't collect pens or inks; (that I'd consider a hobby). I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. If someone thinks that's a hobby, well, that's ridiculous.
My wife reads constantly, mostly literary fiction (not pulp). Is that a hobby? I don't think so. It's how she chooses to spend her time, and she's a serious reader.
Let's not argue about semantics and definitions. These are the activities that define our lives.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Yea, I guess I just feel that a lot of games these days are mind numbing in the same way - starts to feel like the bad parts of work for me after I play for too long (why do I have to do another quest? / I have to practice clicking faster?) but to each his own!fantasytensai wrote:I know what you mean. But a lot of us are doing mind-numbing work everyday. I know it's taboo to admit but I am purely working to put food on the table. I may have a doctorate degree and a professional license but that doesn't mean I care about doing something meaningful or advancing the world. I just want to get home after my 9-6 and relax on my couch with a beer and PS4, to the extent my wife allows it. To be able to relax like that 24/7 is just something I cannot see myself hating.ynotredrum wrote:fantasytensai wrote:I understand. But I know some people think that reading is addictive as well, but it is NOTHING compared to video games (in my opinion). There are hundreds of games that, once you pick up, you just cannot put down. I remember when I was around 15 I played video games for 36 hours straight when my parents left me alone for a weekend, pausing only to perform basic human functions.delamer wrote:dacalo wrote:
Funny you mention this. I am 37 and I have huge backlog of games I would to complete one day. But with a 5 month old, being a husband, having a career, and also trying to main health with regular exercise, gaming comes distant priority even though it's something I enjoy.
Old enough to be your mother -- my equivalent is books. So many to read, so little time. But even though I love to read, I don't want to do it all my waking hours in retirement.
Of course video games have lessened their grapples on me now, but I am still greatly drawn to a good one. If I can magically retire tomorrow, I will not play video games all day long, mostly because my wife won't let me. But what I'm saying is that, when people here talk about having those lonely thoughts when they retire, I just don't see it. When I feel like there is nothing to do, I'll just fire up my PS4 or hop on my PC.
And don't even get me started on online games. My wife threatened to divorce me if I didn't stop playing those.
I'm near your age and when I was growing up would wake up at 3am to play video games, but their addictiveness to me has pretty much gone away at this point
I think the main reason for this is that I feel like the problems and challenges provided by video games are limited and artificial (by the environment and rules that programmers can set up) - whereas the problems you solve in life or at work are so much more complex / realistic. I just don't find that I get the same satisfaction from beating a computer game anymore as I do solving something in the real world. Also, it's extremely rare that I find a computer game these days that isn't some combination of previous games that I've played previously
Once every year or so now, I'll binge for a week or two (and when I do it sucks waking up to go to work), but when I do it's usually some dumb, mindless game that I use to relax
- BogleFanGal
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
As someone likely just a couple of years away from retiring, this thread has been a marvelous mix of insights and experiences. Hope others continue to share their thoughts.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I'll counter your "let's not argue about semantics and definitions" with this from an online dictionary: a hobby isJazztonight wrote:I agree with you. Your daily thirty minutes of exercise is not what I'd consider a hobby. It's just like the MWF 1-2 hour workout I do at home. It's for health and maintenance. A sport such as tennis, running, cycling, volleyball, even golf(!) could be considered a hobby, I suppose, depending on how serious you are about it.How do you define "priority hobby" in this context? For instance, I have a self-imposed rule that I do 30 minutes of exercise every day. I would not consider exercise a hobby in any sense; I do it for my health. Really no different than brushing my teeth. I know that many people take part in a sports hobby (tennis, running, etc,) but that is not me. And I don't feel that I am missing anything or not self-actualized because of my approach.
Based on time alone, my priority hobby is reading -- books, magazine, newspapers, online content.
Regardless of what you call your activities, pastimes, and the other things in which you participate, this is just about semantics. Many people who collect stamps or coins would not call it a hobby--it can be serious business.
I correspond with a dozen people around the world; we all use fountain pens. Is this a hobby? Not to me. I spend hours writing these letters, and it is a serious activity for me. I don't collect pens or inks; (that I'd consider a hobby). I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. If someone thinks that's a hobby, well, that's ridiculous.
My wife reads constantly, mostly literary fiction (not pulp). Is that a hobby? I don't think so. It's how she chooses to spend her time, and she's a serious reader.
Let's not argue about semantics and definitions. These are the activities that define our lives.
"an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure"
I understand your general point that we all have, and need, activities that define our lives, and what we call them doesn't matter. But I imagine that 98% of people hearing that you practice the flute a couple hours a day would consider that to be one of your hobbies, and I don't know why you would consider that "ridiculous" (unless you are professional musician).
One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not. - Alexandre Dumas, fils
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
For those considering use of their time, in retirement or otherwise, I highly recommend a podcast of Sam Harris's conversation with Tristan Harris "What is Technology Doing to Us?" https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/ ... oing-to-us .
VictoriaThe introduction to the podcast wrote:In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Tristan Harris about the arms race for human attention, the ethics of persuasion, the consequences of having an ad-based economy, the dynamics of regret, and other topics.
Tristan Harris has been called the “closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience,” by The Atlantic magazine. He was the Design Ethicist at Google and left the company to lead Time Well Spent, where he focuses on how better incentives and design practices can create a world that helps us spend our time well.
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake |
Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. |
Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I am 37 and sort of targeting my early 50s for retirement. I recently suffered a pretty bad back injury that kept me away from work for a month (full recovery expected). The first two weeks were pretty great (between the painkillers, netflix binging, no chores, sleeping/waking whenever I wanted, no work emails, etc...). But, by week four I was bored out of my mind. Two conclusions for me: One, retirement without good health would be a huge challenge. Two, just hanging out is not a long term solution for me despite having thought it was.
- Jazztonight
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I am a professional musician, but that's not why I consider it ridiculous. Also, I don't agree with that online dictionary definition. Like I said earlier, let's not argue...delamer wrote:I'll counter your "let's not argue about semantics and definitions" with this from an online dictionary: a hobby isJazztonight wrote:I agree with you. Your daily thirty minutes of exercise is not what I'd consider a hobby. It's just like the MWF 1-2 hour workout I do at home. It's for health and maintenance. A sport such as tennis, running, cycling, volleyball, even golf(!) could be considered a hobby, I suppose, depending on how serious you are about it.How do you define "priority hobby" in this context? For instance, I have a self-imposed rule that I do 30 minutes of exercise every day. I would not consider exercise a hobby in any sense; I do it for my health. Really no different than brushing my teeth. I know that many people take part in a sports hobby (tennis, running, etc,) but that is not me. And I don't feel that I am missing anything or not self-actualized because of my approach.
Based on time alone, my priority hobby is reading -- books, magazine, newspapers, online content.
Regardless of what you call your activities, pastimes, and the other things in which you participate, this is just about semantics. Many people who collect stamps or coins would not call it a hobby--it can be serious business.
I correspond with a dozen people around the world; we all use fountain pens. Is this a hobby? Not to me. I spend hours writing these letters, and it is a serious activity for me. I don't collect pens or inks; (that I'd consider a hobby). I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. If someone thinks that's a hobby, well, that's ridiculous.
My wife reads constantly, mostly literary fiction (not pulp). Is that a hobby? I don't think so. It's how she chooses to spend her time, and she's a serious reader.
Let's not argue about semantics and definitions. These are the activities that define our lives.
"an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure"
I understand your general point that we all have, and need, activities that define our lives, and what we call them doesn't matter. But I imagine that 98% of people hearing that you practice the flute a couple hours a day would consider that to be one of your hobbies, and I don't know why you would consider that "ridiculous" (unless you are professional musician).
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Now I'm intrigued; what do you consider a hobby?Jazztonight wrote:I am a professional musician, but that's not why I consider it ridiculous. Also, I don't agree with that online dictionary definition. Like I said earlier, let's not argue...delamer wrote:I'll counter your "let's not argue about semantics and definitions" with this from an online dictionary: a hobby isJazztonight wrote:I agree with you. Your daily thirty minutes of exercise is not what I'd consider a hobby. It's just like the MWF 1-2 hour workout I do at home. It's for health and maintenance. A sport such as tennis, running, cycling, volleyball, even golf(!) could be considered a hobby, I suppose, depending on how serious you are about it.How do you define "priority hobby" in this context? For instance, I have a self-imposed rule that I do 30 minutes of exercise every day. I would not consider exercise a hobby in any sense; I do it for my health. Really no different than brushing my teeth. I know that many people take part in a sports hobby (tennis, running, etc,) but that is not me. And I don't feel that I am missing anything or not self-actualized because of my approach.
Based on time alone, my priority hobby is reading -- books, magazine, newspapers, online content.
Regardless of what you call your activities, pastimes, and the other things in which you participate, this is just about semantics. Many people who collect stamps or coins would not call it a hobby--it can be serious business.
I correspond with a dozen people around the world; we all use fountain pens. Is this a hobby? Not to me. I spend hours writing these letters, and it is a serious activity for me. I don't collect pens or inks; (that I'd consider a hobby). I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. If someone thinks that's a hobby, well, that's ridiculous.
My wife reads constantly, mostly literary fiction (not pulp). Is that a hobby? I don't think so. It's how she chooses to spend her time, and she's a serious reader.
Let's not argue about semantics and definitions. These are the activities that define our lives.
"an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure"
I understand your general point that we all have, and need, activities that define our lives, and what we call them doesn't matter. But I imagine that 98% of people hearing that you practice the flute a couple hours a day would consider that to be one of your hobbies, and I don't know why you would consider that "ridiculous" (unless you are professional musician).
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
retired at 60 turning 61. After nine years, NO REGRETS!
Never in the history of market day-traders’ has the obsession with so much massive, sophisticated, & powerful statistical machinery used by the brightest people on earth with such useless results.
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I agree to a large extent. I'm still at the beginning of my working life, but work just feels dreadful for the most part. There's a few people at my workplace that I consider highly skilled within their field, but for the most part I really don't enjoy working there five days a week. As I see it, I'm there to do my job as best as I can and collect paycheck. If I were paid less, I'd probably quit and look elsewhere.kathyauburn wrote:Different people are different. If I had had the money, I could have happily retired at age 24. I'm a creative person who can write, make music, pursue publishing and countless other projects. I don't get my energy or motivation from social situations or other people. I don't need or want validation from people working in an office. In fact, I disdain such people. (And I certainly don't think that the world's smartest people are found there.) I never met anyone in my years working in an office that I respected much at all. What a waste of life, I thought. If I have a regret, it's that I spent any time at all in such places.
Bottom line is that you have to examine yourself to determine whether you would regret retirement. What would be the possible reasons to regret it? Not enough money? That's entirely different from "not enough to do."
I do get some satisfaction from solving a tricky problem every now and then, but I could solve those problems outside of work if I so desired.
If you offered me a modest early retirement tomorrow, I'd take it without thinking twice.
"The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists" - Benjamin Graham
- TheTimeLord
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Just curious what you do to support yourself currently.kathyauburn wrote:Different people are different. If I had had the money, I could have happily retired at age 24. I'm a creative person who can write, make music, pursue publishing and countless other projects. I don't get my energy or motivation from social situations or other people. I don't need or want validation from people working in an office. In fact, I disdain such people. (And I certainly don't think that the world's smartest people are found there.) I never met anyone in my years working in an office that I respected much at all. What a waste of life, I thought. If I have a regret, it's that I spent any time at all in such places.
Bottom line is that you have to examine yourself to determine whether you would regret retirement. What would be the possible reasons to regret it? Not enough money? That's entirely different from "not enough to do."
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
Run, You Clever Boy! [9085]
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Hmm... Okay I call a dog an elephant, but let's not argue.Jazztonight wrote:I am a professional musician, but that's not why I consider it ridiculous. Also, I don't agree with that online dictionary definition. Like I said earlier, let's not argue...delamer wrote:I understand your general point that we all have, and need, activities that define our lives, and what we call them doesn't matter. But I imagine that 98% of people hearing that you practice the flute a couple hours a day would consider that to be one of your hobbies, and I don't know why you would consider that "ridiculous" (unless you are professional musician).
Pretty impossible to communicate with other human beings without some kind of common reference point.
- Jazztonight
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I'd say I communicate with others at a fairly high level. But the topic of "hobbies" is one that I have problems with. The other is the concept of "fun."HomerJ wrote:Hmm... Okay I call a dog an elephant, but let's not argue.Jazztonight wrote:I am a professional musician, but that's not why I consider it ridiculous. Also, I don't agree with that online dictionary definition. Like I said earlier, let's not argue...delamer wrote:I understand your general point that we all have, and need, activities that define our lives, and what we call them doesn't matter. But I imagine that 98% of people hearing that you practice the flute a couple hours a day would consider that to be one of your hobbies, and I don't know why you would consider that "ridiculous" (unless you are professional musician).
Pretty impossible to communicate with other human beings without some kind of common reference point.
My intention is not to hijack this thread, but you asked.
As I've mentioned, I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. Often people will think this is a hobby and I do it for fun. No. I once had a professor who told the class, "Music is not fun; it's hard work." I told him later I agreed with him 100%. If someone wants to sit around and play 2-3 chords on the guitar and sing "If I had a hammer," maybe that's fun. But when you take what you're doing seriously enough to spend a good portion of your life trying to improve your capability to a professional level so you can perform with a community concert band or as a a soloist in a jazz ensemble, it takes it out of the realm of "hobby." Do I enjoy these performances? Of course. Is it "fun"? I'm not sure. It is incredibly satisfying when it goes well, and I get much enjoyment from performing.
If I carry on a meaningful correspondence with 10-12 people around the world for ten years, I don't consider that a hobby. If, on the other hand, I have a collection of 50 different bottles of ink, maybe collecting ink is a hobby. I wouldn't know, since I don't collect ink.
Maybe I just take life too seriously. It's just that I believe this time around is not a dress rehearsal.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
- Jazztonight
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Please see my response to Homer.EddyB wrote:Now I'm intrigued; what do you consider a hobby?Jazztonight wrote:I am a professional musician, but that's not why I consider it ridiculous. Also, I don't agree with that online dictionary definition. Like I said earlier, let's not argue...delamer wrote:I'll counter your "let's not argue about semantics and definitions" with this from an online dictionary: a hobby isJazztonight wrote:I agree with you. Your daily thirty minutes of exercise is not what I'd consider a hobby. It's just like the MWF 1-2 hour workout I do at home. It's for health and maintenance. A sport such as tennis, running, cycling, volleyball, even golf(!) could be considered a hobby, I suppose, depending on how serious you are about it.How do you define "priority hobby" in this context? For instance, I have a self-imposed rule that I do 30 minutes of exercise every day. I would not consider exercise a hobby in any sense; I do it for my health. Really no different than brushing my teeth. I know that many people take part in a sports hobby (tennis, running, etc,) but that is not me. And I don't feel that I am missing anything or not self-actualized because of my approach.
Based on time alone, my priority hobby is reading -- books, magazine, newspapers, online content.
Regardless of what you call your activities, pastimes, and the other things in which you participate, this is just about semantics. Many people who collect stamps or coins would not call it a hobby--it can be serious business.
I correspond with a dozen people around the world; we all use fountain pens. Is this a hobby? Not to me. I spend hours writing these letters, and it is a serious activity for me. I don't collect pens or inks; (that I'd consider a hobby). I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. If someone thinks that's a hobby, well, that's ridiculous.
My wife reads constantly, mostly literary fiction (not pulp). Is that a hobby? I don't think so. It's how she chooses to spend her time, and she's a serious reader.
Let's not argue about semantics and definitions. These are the activities that define our lives.
"an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure"
I understand your general point that we all have, and need, activities that define our lives, and what we call them doesn't matter. But I imagine that 98% of people hearing that you practice the flute a couple hours a day would consider that to be one of your hobbies, and I don't know why you would consider that "ridiculous" (unless you are professional musician).
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
My early retirement was at 62 years of age. I had a creative career as an engineer, but suddenly got stressed out and retired (Social Security at 65). Though half a year later I was recharged and was asked to come back half time. I enjoyed working part time until 69. I always liked to work in that organization.
We have a comfortable house which would be too big for us, so we invited my son and grandson to live with us the last 14 years. We really enjoy having our now teenage grandson with us, you might call that a hobby, but large families in the past often had several generations living close, so for us it is a normal retirement. I have a hobby, have become a knowledgeable gardener, a collector of conifers and hosta perennials, that also keeps me busy. In respect to travelling, we traveled enough before retirement, visited Europe often (I grew up there), had many business trips to Asia, so trips to Cape Cod is all we need.
We have a comfortable house which would be too big for us, so we invited my son and grandson to live with us the last 14 years. We really enjoy having our now teenage grandson with us, you might call that a hobby, but large families in the past often had several generations living close, so for us it is a normal retirement. I have a hobby, have become a knowledgeable gardener, a collector of conifers and hosta perennials, that also keeps me busy. In respect to travelling, we traveled enough before retirement, visited Europe often (I grew up there), had many business trips to Asia, so trips to Cape Cod is all we need.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
One of the best things on happiness I ever read was in, of all places, the Motley Fool. An article entitled "Enough," (I think it was similar to Larry's articles on the marginal utility of money), summarized the research on people who self-describe as "happy." The aspects in common of their lives are: Control over what you’re doing, progress in what you’re pursuing, connection with others, and being part of something you enjoy that’s bigger than yourself.
I retired at 60 five years ago, and have tried to keep this in mind in my activities.
I retired at 60 five years ago, and have tried to keep this in mind in my activities.
"Most quotations on the internet are incorrect."-Mark Twain
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Okay, let's agree to disagree on the definition of "fun". Let's also agree not to call each other "ridiculous" for holding different views. That's where all this started. Sorry for the derail, and thanks for the response.Jazztonight wrote:Do I enjoy these performances? Of course. Is it "fun"? I'm not sure. It is incredibly satisfying when it goes well, and I get much enjoyment from performing.
- Hyperborea
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
It doesn't seem to be a threadjack as enjoyment in retirement is part of not having regret about doing so.Jazztonight wrote:My intention is not to hijack this thread, but you asked.
Just for background, I also practice my main instrument 1-2 hours a day. I also practice my secondary instrument ~1 hour a day and practice singing 1/2 hour a day. Before I retired last year I only practiced ~1 hour a day on the main instrument for many years as that was all that the rest of my schedule would allow. I took up the secondary instrument and singing in retirement.Jazztonight wrote:As I've mentioned, I practice the flute 1-2 hours a day. Often people will think this is a hobby and I do it for fun. No. I once had a professor who told the class, "Music is not fun; it's hard work." I told him later I agreed with him 100%. If someone wants to sit around and play 2-3 chords on the guitar and sing "If I had a hammer," maybe that's fun. But when you take what you're doing seriously enough to spend a good portion of your life trying to improve your capability to a professional level so you can perform with a community concert band or as a a soloist in a jazz ensemble, it takes it out of the realm of "hobby." Do I enjoy these performances? Of course. Is it "fun"? I'm not sure. It is incredibly satisfying when it goes well, and I get much enjoyment from performing.
Yes, practice is hard work that doesn't have to be fun but if you don't learn how to make it fun and enjoyable for you then you will be pretty darn miserable. The fun isn't in the activity, it's in the mind of the doer of the activity.
P.S. "If I had a hammer" needs 4 chords.
It’s not just that facts don’t seem to matter anymore. It’s that it doesn’t seem to matter that facts don’t matter.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Hyperborea wrote:
P.S. "If I had a hammer" needs 4 chords.
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
A data point about the meaning of "hobby":
Many people refer to their pursuit of airline miles, hotel points, and bank bonuses as a "hobby." I do some of these activities, trying to limit my activities to the lowest effort and highest payoffs, but I would never call it a "hobby." I do get a jolt of satisfaction when I get a new reward or a bonus, but in general, I consider it wasted time. I have better things to do with my time, and bonuses are not going to affect my financial life.
On the other hand, I consider walking, backpacking, and yoga hobbies.
Victoria
Many people refer to their pursuit of airline miles, hotel points, and bank bonuses as a "hobby." I do some of these activities, trying to limit my activities to the lowest effort and highest payoffs, but I would never call it a "hobby." I do get a jolt of satisfaction when I get a new reward or a bonus, but in general, I consider it wasted time. I have better things to do with my time, and bonuses are not going to affect my financial life.
On the other hand, I consider walking, backpacking, and yoga hobbies.
Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake |
Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. |
Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
Question for those who retired "early". I am 61 and considering retirement (I can do it financially ).
Some writers on the subject say that you shouldn't just retire from something, you should have something to retire to. I have in mind the usual suspects: reading, volunteering, some travel, working out (which I already do regularly.) Prior to actually retiring, did you have a plan on how you would spend your time or just sort of wing it?
Some writers on the subject say that you shouldn't just retire from something, you should have something to retire to. I have in mind the usual suspects: reading, volunteering, some travel, working out (which I already do regularly.) Prior to actually retiring, did you have a plan on how you would spend your time or just sort of wing it?
- JDCarpenter
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I agree with that concept; otherwise, boredom would be a real risk for DW and me.hirlaw wrote:Question for those who retired "early". I am 61 and considering retirement (I can do it financially ).
Some writers on the subject say that you shouldn't just retire from something, you should have something to retire to. I have in mind the usual suspects: reading, volunteering, some travel, working out (which I already do regularly.) Prior to actually retiring, did you have a plan on how you would spend your time or just sort of wing it?
Technically, we haven't retired yet--but our ~2 years of notice runs out next month. We are retiring to travel. Only have relatively detailed plans for 2 trips encompassing 5 months (2 this year, 3 next), but a massive destination/adventure list that we've been accumulating since at least our 20s (some, like Peru and Solomon Islands, dating back to childhood). Our jobs have barred extensive long travel, so a lot of time to make up for while we are still relatively young (57/56) and healthy/fit.
Our personal blog (no ads) of why we saved/invested: https://www.lisajtravels.com/
- TheTimeLord
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Re: Regret early retirement/downsizing
I was bored silly after about 3 months of not working when I took a package from Megacorp. Thought I would do certain things, but practicing became boring or people weren't available because they were at work. So I definitely agree you need something to retire to you won't get tired of. Personally I think a 3 day work week would be perfection. Get all your chores out of the way during the week and have weekends 100% free. That would rock, 4 day might not be too bad either.hirlaw wrote:Question for those who retired "early". I am 61 and considering retirement (I can do it financially ).
Some writers on the subject say that you shouldn't just retire from something, you should have something to retire to. I have in mind the usual suspects: reading, volunteering, some travel, working out (which I already do regularly.) Prior to actually retiring, did you have a plan on how you would spend your time or just sort of wing it?
IMHO, Investing should be about living the life you want, not avoiding the life you fear. |
Run, You Clever Boy! [9085]